Public health refers to "the
science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health
through organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations,
public and private, communities and individuals." It is concerned with
threats to health based on population health analysis. The population in
question can be as small as a handful of people, or as large as all the
inhabitants of several continents. The dimensions of health can encompass
"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity"
The focus of public health
intervention is to improve health and quality of life through prevention and
treatment of disease and other physical and mental health conditions. This is done
through surveillance of cases and health indicators, and through promotion of
healthy behaviors. Examples of common public health measures include promotion
of hand washing, breastfeeding, delivery of vaccinations, and distribution of
condoms to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Importance
of public health
Nowadays, few would argue with
governments’ role in ensuring that certain basic services, such as clean air
and water, are provided. Measures that were previously hotly contested and seen
as “nanny state interference”, such as pasteurization of milk and fortification
of white bread, are no longer contentious.
Many of the major questions of
public-health policy relate to so-called “lifestyle factors” that influence the
risks of major killers such as heart disease and cancer. Here people often
refer to “lifestyle choices”, but the notion of “choice” can be troublesome, as
choices are often constrained by the actions of others, such as industry and
government, and by socioeconomic, environmental and genetic factors. Therefore,
the ethical justification for government intervention to promote public health
deserves close scrutiny. In traditional bioethics, much emphasis is placed on
the freedom of the individual. However, in public-health policy, some measures
might constitute minor infringements of a person’s freedom but bring about
significant benefit for a large number of people, hence the need to balance
freedoms with community benefits.
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